From Grist online magazine:


AW, SHOOT
People accused of shooting endangered species are getting off the
hook thanks to a U.S. Justice Department policy that some federal
wildlife officials say amounts to a loophole in the Endangered
Species Act.  Adopted in 1998 under the Clinton administration, the
policy requires government prosecutors to prove that a suspect knew
the animal they were killing was endangered.  "We have to show a
mental state, which for federal agents is very difficult," said Neill
Hartman of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The policy has
hampered dozens of federal criminal prosecutions in cases where
grizzlies, wolves, lynx, condors, and other endangered animals have
been killed.  "If you don't prosecute, who's to stop someone from
going out and taking a bear just because they want a grizzly in their
trophy room?" asks Hartman.  Wildlife officials have asked the Bush
administration to change the policy, but to no avail.

straight to the source:  Los Angeles Times, Deborah Schoch, 22 Jun 2003
<http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=1266>




- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]